/library/oar/handle/123456789/40714 2025-12-24T17:48:34Z /library/oar/handle/123456789/50406 Title: License to sell aromatic drugs granted to a shopkeeper in 1764 Authors: Cassar, Paul Abstract: A document of 1764 held in a manuscript at the National Library of Malta shows the role of the Collegio di Sanita in issuing licences and setting down regulations regarding the sale of medicines when Malta was under the rule of the Order of St. John. This, and other documents carrying an earlier date prove the existence of regulatory bodies controlling the practice of pharmacy in Malta even as far back as the 17th Century. 1996-01-01T00:00:00Z /library/oar/handle/123456789/50404 Title: "Specials" manufacture in the N.H.S. Authors: Millership, Sandra Abstract: Over the past 30 years there has been a vast change in the manufacture of "specials" within the National Health Service. From being primitive, badly equipped units situated in the basement of nearly all hospitals, N.H.S. production units have changed to purpose built, hi-tech units licensed by the Medicines Control Agency, providing a fast, efficient and validated "specials" service. Although non-profit making organisations, N.H.S. Production units have to be self-financing. Thus staff costs, overheads and replacement of equipment must be financed by sales. Production pharmacists in the N.H.S. are now working together to rationalise the product list within their units. Certain units have taken over the role of national supplier for items and instead of duplicating effort, other units will buy from them. 1996-01-01T00:00:00Z /library/oar/handle/123456789/50369 Title: Acute vigabatrin-phenobarbitone-interaction on exploratory behaviour of rats Authors: Sherif, Fathi M.; EI-Hwuegi, Abudalla S.; Kumlien, Eva Abstract: Vigabatrin (gamma-vinyl GABA) is an irreversible inh:bitor of the enzyme GABA-transaminase (GABA-T) which is responsible for the catabolism of the major inhibitory neurotransmitter gamma- aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the brain. Vigabatrin causes a several fold increase in the levels of brain GABA. The current study investigated further the effects of acute treatment with vigabatrin (100 mgl kg, i.p.) & phenobarbitone sodium (20 mg/kg, i.p.)f alone and in combination, in two rat behavioural models of exploratory activity: the elevated plus-maze model of anxiety and the open field test of locomotor activity. A single injection of vigabatrin or phenobarbitone alone, produced anxiolytic effects in the elevated plus-maze test and increased locomotor activity in the open field test. In contrast, after the concomitant administration of both drugs, the anxiolytic effects were no longer produced in the elevated plus-maze. The increased locomotor activity was also diminished in both tests of exploratory behaviour. These results shed light on the GABA hypothesis of anxiety, insofar as the increased availability of GABA, resulting from either GABA-T inhibition (vigabatrin) or facilitation of GABA-mediated chloride channels (phenobarbitone), seems to result in an increased emotional reactivity which, however, subsequently disappears during combined treatment. 1996-01-01T00:00:00Z /library/oar/handle/123456789/50364 Title: The influence of pH on the solubility of miconazole and its effect on survival of c. albicans Authors: McElhatton, Anna Abstract: The in-vitro activity ofmiconazole against Candida albicans (NCPF 3262) was investigated using Time- survival curves. An HPLC assay was also developed to produce a pH-solubility profile which showed that miconazole solubility varied from (2.5 ±0.3) mg/L at pH 12 to (28.9 ± 0.6) mg/L at pH 5. Time survival curve determinations demonstrated a relationship between miconazole concentration and the area under the curve (AUC). In controlled conditions using buffered aqueous solutions of miconazole (8 mg/L), a change in pH from 8 to 5 resulted in an increase in the antifungal activity of miconazole. Experiments performed in buffered YNB using the same concentration of miconazole showed that a change in pH from 7 to 5 resulted in a decrease in miconazole antifungal activity. Such results indicate that apart from the well known inhibitory effects that the growth media have on azole activity, pH at which tests were performed may also influence growth of C. albicans in batch culture. 1996-01-01T00:00:00Z